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Supported Tracking Protocols

This page provides an overview of the capabilities of each tracking protocol supported by Pixotope.

Protocol

Position

Rotation

Distortion

FOV

Focus Distance

Aperture

Filmback size

LTC (available in certain modes)

Timestamp

Packet number

Lens Encoders

Recommended with Pixotope?

Comments

Manual












Not suitable for production

For debug use and testing connections
Set lens values using offsets

EZtrack













We only support the OpenCV distortion model from EZtrack

FreeD













Must be used with local lens files

Mosys F4













Very flexible protocol, so no guaranteed fields

Ncam SDK (TCP)













Distortion Map implementation is discouraged, use Ncam Cinelens as distortion model instead

Ncam Lite














SMT TP11








Timestamp can be converted to timecode

Converted to packet number




Lack of focus distance is ok because they are only used in huge stadiums

Sony FR7













Prefer local lens files

Spidercam Frame B













Must be used with local lens files

Stype HF1.1














Technocrane














Telemetrics













Must be used with local lens file

TrackMen
(X-Cito)








Packet number can represent timecode





Lens values always supplied so no need for encoder values

UX v2













We prefer directly supporting the protocols ourselves

Legend
  • Green: Included

  • Yellow: Might be included, depending on the situation

  • Red: Not included

  • Blue: Not included/Not needed

Consequences of missing fields

  • Position/Rotation

    • Camera cannot move

  • Distortion

    • Bad lens replication. Objects will slide around when moving the camera

  • FOV

    • Cannot zoom in/out. Must find FOV manually and set it to static value

  • Focus distance

    • We must turn off focus (DOF). No replication of where the lens has focus

  • LTC

    • We cannot use LTC for video/tracking sync (frame matching)

  • Timestamp

    • Not needed, but can replace packet number for detecting packet loss

  • Packet number

    • No way to detect packet loss

  • Lens encoders

    • Needed if we want to use our own lens files. We only need our own lens files if the tracking protocol does not have lens values (distortion,fov,focus distance)

    • See Lens files in Pixotope